Both Republican and Democratic legislators are closely monitoring the House Republican Caucus meetings. They have been held regularly since Philip Gunn was elected Speaker in 2012. Mississippi Today reported earlier this week on what happens inside closed meetings that are not open to the public or the media. Many major pieces of legislation that are authored or supported in part by Republican leaders, including Gunn, are discussed and debated in the backroom meetings. These deliberations can result in lawmakers not asking questions at public committee meetings or on the House floor. According to several legislators, in caucus meetings held under Gunn’s leadership, Republican members were asked to vote on particular bills. READ MORE: Speaker Philip Gunn holds secret Capitol meetings in order to pass his bills and limit public debate. Is this legal? It had not been challenged by the Ethics Commission or any state courts. However, several opinions from the past, including a 2017 Mississippi Supreme Court decision, suggest that the meetings may be illegal. The House Republican Caucus is more than just a majority of the House of Representatives. It also deliberates public policy in private. On March 4, Sollie Norwood (a Jackson Democrat) requested an opinion from The Ethics Commission about whether the House Republican Caucus meetings are in violation of the Open Meetings Act. Norwood explained to Mississippi Today Monday evening that the request was made to clarify concerns about a process that had been at worst misused. It is not a political issue. It seeks to clarify the limits of an open, deliberate and transparent process about how public policy should be considered at different levels of government.” (Note – Norwood’s letter addressed to the Ethics Commission is at the bottom.) The Ethics Commission’s opinion that caucus meetings were illegal could change Gunn’s administration of the House of Representatives. The House Republican Caucus also uses a mobile app to communicate with their members, although it is rarely used for legislation. Mississippi Today was told by several House Republicans that Gunn uses the caucus meetings sometimes to force rank-and-file legislators into supporting favorable bills. Many Capitol staffers have raised concerns about whether the meetings are in violation of the Mississippi Open Meetings Act. Gunn’s staff claims that the House Republican Caucus does not have to follow the Open Meetings Act as it is not considered a “public entity” under state law. Emily Simmons, Gunn’s communications director, stated that “The House Republican Caucus does not qualify as a public body under Open Meetings Act.” Trey Dellinger Gunn’s chief-of-staff shared the same argument with Mississippi Today. Senate leaders disagree. Lt. Governor. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann was elected lieutenant governor in 2020 and became the presiding officer for the Senate. Second-term Republican state Senator Mike Seymour asked whether caucus meetings are legal under the Open Meetings Act. After some research by Senate staff, Hosemann decided not to convene Senate Republican Caucus meetings. Staff advised him that the Open Meetings Act could be violated. If they feel transparency laws have been violated, anyone can file a complaint to the Mississippi Ethics Commission. The commission usually expedites requests from lawmakers. The request for an opinion was filed by Norwood 18 days ago, but the commission has yet to issue a ruling. The governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House each appoint eight members to the Ethics Commission for four-year terms. Many of the members of the Ethics Commission have close ties with the state’s political apparatus and the officials who appointed them. Spencer Ritchie was appointed to the commission by then-Lt. Governor. Tate Reeves was the executive director of Mississippi Republican Party for over two years. Erin Lane is an attorney who was appointed to the commission by the now-Gov in 2020. Reeves is the wife Colby Lane, a college fraternity brother and donor to Reeves. Hosemann named Ben Stone, a Republican donor who is a long-time friend of Hosemann, to the Ethics Commission for 2021. Every lieutenant governor has reappointed Stone to the commission since 1981. Sean Milner is one of Gunn’s appointees on the Ethics Commission. He is the president of Mississippi Baptist Children’s Village. Both Milner and Gunn were leaders at Morrison Heights Baptist Church, Clinton. It is not clear whether Milner will withdraw from the commission’s consideration of Norwood’s opinion request about Gunn’s private meetings. READ MORE: Philip Gunn, Delbert Hosemann are still at a deadlock on tax cuts
Norwood stated that the request was made to clarify concerns about a process that had been at worst misused. It is not a political issue. It seeks to clarify the limits of an open, deliberate and transparent process about how public policy should be considered at different levels of government.” (Note – Norwood’s letter addressed to the Ethics Commission is at the bottom.) The Ethics Commission’s opinion that caucus meetings were illegal could change Gunn’s administration of the House of Representatives. The House Republican Caucus also uses a mobile app to communicate with their members, although it is rarely used for legislation. Mississippi Today was told by several House Republicans that Gunn uses the caucus meetings sometimes to force rank-and-file legislators into supporting favorable bills. Many Capitol staffers have raised concerns about whether the meetings are in violation of the Mississippi Open Meetings Act. Gunn’s staff claims that the House Republican Caucus does not have to follow the Open Meetings Act as it is not considered a “public entity” under state law. Emily Simmons, Gunn’s communications director, stated that “The House Republican Caucus does not qualify as a public body under Open Meetings Act.” Trey Dellinger Gunn’s chief-of-staff shared the same argument with Mississippi Today. Senate leaders disagree. When Lt. Governor. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann was elected lieutenant governor in 2020 and became the presiding officer for the Senate. Second-term Republican state Senator Mike Seymour asked whether caucus meetings are legal under the Open Meetings Act. After some research by Senate staff, Hosemann decided not to convene Senate Republican Caucus meetings. Staff advised him that the Open Meetings Act could be violated. If they feel transparency laws have been violated, anyone can file a complaint to the Mississippi Ethics Commission. The commission usually expedites requests from lawmakers. The request for an opinion was filed by Norwood 18 days ago, but the commission has yet to issue a ruling. The governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House each appoint eight members to the Ethics Commission for four-year terms. Many of the members of the Ethics Commission have close ties with the state’s political apparatus and the officials who appointed them. Spencer Ritchie was appointed to the commission by the then-Lt. Governor in 2018. Tate Reeves was the executive director of Mississippi Republican Party for over two years. Erin Lane is an attorney who was appointed to the commission by the now-Gov in 2020. Reeves is the wife Colby Lane, a college fraternity brother and donor to Reeves. Hosemann named Ben Stone, a Republican donor who is a long-time friend of Hosemann, to the Ethics Commission for 2021. Every lieutenant governor has reappointed Stone to the commission since 1981. Sean Milner is one of Gunn’s appointees on the Ethics Commission. He is the president of Mississippi Baptist Children’s Village. Both Milner and Gunn were leaders at Morrison Heights Baptist Church, Clinton. It is not clear whether Milner will withdraw from the commission’s consideration of Norwood’s request for an opinion regarding Gunn’s private meetings. READ MORE: Philip Gunn, Delbert Hosemann are still at a deadlock on tax cuts. Any amount will help us continue producing high-quality journalism for Mississippi. Mississippi Today Nonprofit Mississippi News A Mississippi senator has asked the Mississippi Ethics Commission for a decision on whether the House Republican Caucus meetings, which are closed-door and secretive Capitol gatherings open only to 77 Republicans from the House of Representatives, violate the state’s Open Meetings Act. Both Republican and Democratic legislators are closely monitoring the House Republican Caucus meetings. They have been held regularly since Philip Gunn was elected Speaker of the House in 2012. Mississippi Today reported earlier this week on what happens inside closed meetings that are not open to the public or the media. Many major pieces of legislation that are authored or supported in part by Republican leaders, including Gunn, are discussed and debated in the backroom meetings. These deliberations can result in lawmakers not asking questions at public committee meetings or on the House floor. Many lawmakers have told Mississippi Today that in caucus meetings under Gunn’s leadership, Republican members were asked to vote on particular bills. READ MORE: Speaker Philip Gunn holds secret Capitol meetings in order to pass his bills and limit public debate. Is this legal? It had not been challenged by the Ethics Commission or any state courts. However, several opinions from the past, including a 2017 Mississippi Supreme Court decision, suggest that the meetings may be illegal. The House Republican Caucus is more than just a majority of the House of Representatives. It also deliberates public policy in private. On March 4, Sollie Norwood (a Jackson Democrat) requested an opinion from The Ethics Commission about whether the House Republican Caucus meetings are in violation of the Open Meetings Act. Norwood explained to Mississippi Today Monday evening that the request was made to clarify concerns about a process that had been at worst misused. It is not a political issue. It seeks to clarify the limits of an open, deliberate and transparent process about how public policy should be considered at different levels of government. (Note: Norwood’s letter to the Ethics Commission is at the bottom. The Ethics Commission’s opinion that caucus meetings were illegal could change Gunn’s administration of the House of Representatives. The House Republican Caucus also uses a mobile app to communicate with their members, although it is rarely used for legislation. Mississippi Today was told by several House Republicans that Gunn uses the caucus meetings sometimes to force rank-and-file legislators into supporting favorable bills. Many Capitol staffers have raised concerns about whether the meetings are in violation of the Mississippi Open Meetings Act. Gunn’s staff claims that the House Republican Caucus does not have to follow the Open Meetings Act as it is not considered a “public entity” under state law. Emily Simmons, Gunn’s communications director, stated that “The House Republican Caucus does not qualify as a public body under Open Meetings Act.” Trey Dellinger Gunn’s chief-of-staff shared the same argument with Mississippi Today. Senate leaders disagree. Lt. Governor. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann was elected lieutenant governor in 2020 and became the presiding officer for the Senate. Second-term Republican state Senator Mike Seymour asked whether caucus meetings are legal under the Open Meetings Act. After some research by Senate staff, Hosemann decided not to convene Senate Republican Caucus meetings. Staff advised him that the Open Meetings Act could be violated. If they feel transparency laws have been violated, anyone can file a complaint to the Mississippi Ethics Commission. The commission usually expedites requests from lawmakers. The request for an opinion was filed by Norwood 18 days ago, but the commission has yet to issue a ruling. The governor, lieutenant governor and speaker of the House each appoint eight members to the Ethics Commission for four-year terms. Many of the members of the Ethics Commission have close ties with the state’s political apparatus and the officials who appointed them. Spencer Ritchie was appointed to the commission by the then-Lt. Governor in 2018. Tate Reeves was the executive director of Mississippi Republican Party for over two years. Erin Lane is an attorney who was appointed to the commission by the now-Gov in 2020. Reeves is the wife Colby Lane, a college fraternity brother and donor to Reeves. Hosemann named Ben Stone, a Republican donor who is a long-time friend of Hosemann, to the Ethics Commission for 2021. Every lieutenant governor has reappointed Stone to the commission since 1981. Sean Milner is one of Gunn’s appointees on the Ethics Commission. He is the president of Mississippi Baptist Children’s Village. Both Milner and Gunn were leaders at Morrison Heights Baptist Church, Clinton. It is not clear whether Milner will withdraw from the commission’s consideration of Norwood’s opinion request about Gunn’s private meetings. READ MORE: Philip Gunn, Delbert Hosemann are still at a deadlock on tax cuts